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Zabaware Forums => Ultra Hal Assistant File Sharing Area => Topic started by: Ooglor 7 on March 12, 2009, 01:41:21 pm

Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Ooglor 7 on March 12, 2009, 01:41:21 pm: Hello again,

I was wondering if there is any way to trigger a hap through a button on a GUI skin? It would be cool to turn hap lights on and off through a button like the standard one's on hal's GUI. If this was possible, which it seems, then I imagine any hap could be designated to a button. That would be a good thing.

P.S. Jack, I hope all is well.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Bill819 on March 12, 2009, 03:02:42 pm: Hal can be programmed to use the X10 protical and has been over the years so it seems possible that a button could be programmed to so might be possible, however, with X10 implemented all you have to do is ask Hal to turn on or off the lights.
Bill
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: freddy888 on March 12, 2009, 03:54:57 pm: Bill, I think Oog means lighting within the Haptek player - not physical lights in your house. What I think he is proposing is the addition of extra buttons to the UltraHal interface...which I think would be great too.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Larry on March 12, 2009, 07:00:03 pm: quote:
Originally posted by Bill819

Hal can be programmed to use the X10 protical and has been over the years
Bill

I know I've been away for a few years, I did a search for x10 and came up with zip here... can you point me to more info ???
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Art on March 12, 2009, 07:51:30 pm: Gee Larry...is that really you? There's cobwebs all over your avatar icon!!! Good to see you again!
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Larry on March 12, 2009, 10:12:15 pm: Thanks, and it has been a while hasn't it! And look at all you guys! 1,000s of posts and look at all the plugins you guys have done over the years! You guys are becoming real programmers! I am very impressed!

Good to see most everyone is still here!

By now I'd figure someone would have made a Yahoo Messenger bot, and an ICQ bot (did I forget any?)!

I remember all the things that are now built into Hal, we were doing as mods back then! Hal sure has come a long way! Very good job you guys! And Thanks Robert for building them into Hal!

When I left, haptek was just starting to be considered. In those days, we were looking at the Santa since he could lip sink! Things sure have progressed!

I'm still checking out all those plugins!!!

Rock on!
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Ooglor 7 on March 12, 2009, 10:18:49 pm: Yes Hap lights, not physical lighting. Sorry, should have clarified. Something that adds a hap button to the GUI. In this case I used hap lighting as an example. The other standard buttons are layed out in the UHP of the GUI skin and it seems like it wouldn't be too hard to add buttons that trigger haps.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Data on March 13, 2009, 07:27:00 am: Nice idea Ooglor, and maybe we could add some buttons for some of the functions on the menu too, like open conversation log and brain editor.

We should bring it up at the next meeting [:)]
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: freddy888 on March 13, 2009, 09:59:01 am: I agree, there has been times in the past where I would have liked to add extra buttons to a skin, then have some way of linking them to code or an external application. Definitely one for the 'feature request' list.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Bill819 on March 13, 2009, 01:04:15 pm: Larry
I know I've been away for a few years, I did a search for x10 and came up with zip here... can you point me to more info ???
[/quote]
I never tried it myself but you used to have to buy modules for each light,TV, etc and another that would plug into your PC. Then Hal when programmed would send out a signal to either turn on or off what ever you asked it to. It is or was a remote control for all electrical outlets in place.
That is all I know or remember.
Bill
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Ooglor 7 on March 13, 2009, 01:27:11 pm: I'll try messing around with the existing buttons in the UHP of a GUI. Actually linking one to trigger a hap will be tricky and there's always the possibilty that the coding only allows for the 4 standard buttons.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Ooglor 7 on March 13, 2009, 01:33:34 pm: I do not see a way to add a button from the UHP. All of the options of the GUI are basically limited to size, image and placement. Even if I could duplicate a button in the UHP, it would still not have the ability to code what that button's function is. The stuff looks hard coded.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: freddy888 on March 13, 2009, 02:45:37 pm: Yeah that's what I thought too. To do this we would need Rob to expand the features of the interface.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Larry on March 13, 2009, 10:44:46 pm: quote:
Originally posted by Bill819

That is all I know or remember.
Bill

Thanks Bill...
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Jake on March 14, 2009, 03:28:00 am: You could just add some code that would be triggered by a keyword that would bring up a configurable REMOTE control separate from the HAL interface. Bringing up the separate remote and configuring Haptek commands to the remote's buttons would be easy enough... I'm just not sure of the VB code that would send the button push code back to the HAL interfaces Haptek window... anyone know that line of code? I'd like to know it if you have it.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: GT40 on March 14, 2009, 07:24:27 am: A GUI like this? [8D]

http://www.ai-dealer.com/Avatar_Sample.html

Of course, it's very easy to do because it's just html/javascript.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Ooglor 7 on March 14, 2009, 11:23:59 pm: Not like that. More like a way to add 1 or 2 configurable buttons to any of Hal's GUIs. Make it so one could copy and paste commands to launch a hap or a program. Right now there are 4 hard coded buttons on Hal's user interface. A remote might be cool if it could be skinned to match the main GUI or even somehow incorperated into it. It sounds very complicated as far as the code goes. Even the GUI itself would be challenging.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Ooglor 7 on March 15, 2009, 07:50:18 pm: Has Robert ever offered to let people pick at the source code?
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Art on March 15, 2009, 08:25:16 pm: Come on Oog...would YOU let people "pick" at your program if you had one on the market and you made money by selling it? If so, how long do you think you would remain in the market?

Hal is NOT an open source program AFAIK.

Just my $.02
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Ooglor 7 on March 16, 2009, 01:28:53 pm: Yah I kinda felt the same as far as it not being economically feesible. Still, if he would allow even just the GUI part of it, we would probably have a field day.
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Carl2 on March 17, 2009, 08:40:25 pm: I've read these posts a few times, even looked into the Hal files to see how they work. I didn't get much by looking at the files but I do remember Java script is used in the Hap demo's. The buttons at frist seem like a good idea but it would seem easier to have Hal change the light, move closer ect. Just say it and trigger a hap rather than reach over move the mouse and click to trigger a hap.
Carl2
Title: Hap Buttons
Post by: Ooglor 7 on March 17, 2009, 11:50:31 pm: If the button was configurable, it wouldn't have to be limited to haps. It could be a switch for voices, characters or to launch another program like the brain editor. It does seem like it would be a complicated task for something that could be accomplished other ways. I'm sure it would be interesting for people making GUIs for Hal but not sure if it appeals to anyone beyond that.